SCCS volleyball team falls to Lopez

MOUNTLAKE TERRACE — Did the Snohomish County Christian School volleyball team have its head in the game last Saturday?

The answer is no, according to Lions coach Stacie Mahler.

“They just need to hustle and get their heads back in it,” Mahler said.

The Lions lost a home match 25-12, 25-16, 25-16 to Lopez. It was definitely not their best match, Mahler said.

“I think that this is not one our better games,” senior captain Rylee Wallace said. “I don’t think that everyone played to the full of their ability.”

Snohomish County Christian is 2-2 in the Northwest B League and 4-8 overall with three matches remaining.

But the loss hasn’t stopped the Lions from being hopeful.

“We still have a chance to make it into district if we fix what happened today,” Wallace said. “We have the talent and ability.”

“We have some really good servers and some really great hitters,” Mahler said. “If the execution is there we do well. I think that if they really come back with their heads back in it we can make it to district.

“We’re very fortunate in that our freshmen setters have great talent. We just need to hone that talent for next year. This year was a building year for me as well as the team.”

“We lost some of our seniors,” Wallace said. “This year we have a lot of new players and freshmen.”

Until the first week of September, the school still hadn’t hired Mahler as its new coach.

“It’s mainly the upperclassmen that stepped up and helped teach the underclassmen,” said Wallace, who headed up practice before Mahler was hired.

Mahler plans to prepare for next season by having the team go through volleyball camp.

“We’re just really going to regroup and hit it hard,” Mahler said.